Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-02-18
PICKETT'S CHARGE.
The Third Days Fight at Gett,sburg-A Gsaphfc
Story.

fight at Gettysburg, by Gen. III. j.
Hunt of the Illinois and Gen. f. p.
Alexander OF the Confederate artillery
From the latter's account of Pickett's
charge we quote as follows: "At exact
ly o'clock by my watch the two
signal-guns were heard in quick sue
cession. In another minute every
9ln was at work The enemy were
not slow in coming back at us. and the
grand roar otnearly the whole artillery
OF both armies burst in on the silence
almost as suddenly as the full notes
OF an organ could fill church
"The artillery of Ewell crops, how
ever, took only small part,
believe, in this, as they were too
lar away around the town.
Some OF them might have done good
service from positions between Hill
and Ewell, enfilading the batteries
fighting us. The opportunity to do
that was the single advantage, in our
having the exterior line to com
pensate for all its disadvantage. But
our line was so far extended that ali
OF it was not well studied, and the
officers OF each corps had no opportu-
nifty to examine each others ground
for chances of cooperative work.
'"The enemy's position seemed to
have broken out with guns every
where. and from Round Top to Gene
terry Hill was blazing like a volcano
The air seemed full of missiles from
every direction. The severity Of the
fire may be illustrated by the casual
ties i'll my own battalion, under Maj.
Huger.
Before the cannonade opened | had
made up my mind TO give Pickett
the order to advance within fiji
teen or twenty minutes alter 1t began.
But when | looked at the full de-
velopment OF the enemy's batteries,
and knew that his infantry was gem
orally protect ed from our fire by
stone walls and swells OF the ground,
/ could not bring myself TO give the
word. 1t seemed madness to launch
infantry INTO that fire, with nearly
three quarters of mile to 90 in the
midday July sun. ! let the fifteen
minutes pass, twenty, and twenty-five,
hoping vainly for something to turn
up. Then | wrote to Pickett Ii you
are coming at all you must come at
once, or | can not give you proper
support but the enemy's fire has not
slackened at all; at least eighteen
guns are still firing from the cemetery
itself. Five minutes after sending
that message the enemy's fire sudden
ly began to slacken, and the guns in
the cemetery limbered up and vacated
the position.
1--WE Confederates often did such
things as that to save our ammuni-
ton for use against infantry, but
had never before seen the Federals
withdraw their guns TO save them up
for the infantry fight. So | said, fine
does not run fresh batteries in there in
five minutes. this j. our fight Hooked
anSiously with my glass, and the five
minutes passed without a sign OF life
on the deserted position, still swept 10y
our fire, and Uttered with dead men
and horses and fragments of disabled
carriages. Then | wrote Pickett, ur-
gently: For Gods sake, come quick
The eighteen guns are gone; come
quick, or my ammunition won't let
me support you properly.
II afterwards heard from others
what took place with my first note to
Pickett. pickett took 1t to
Longstreet, Longstreet read It,,
and said nothing. Pickett said,
General, shall ! advance? Long
street, knowing it had to be, but un-
willing to give the word, turned his
face away. Pickett saluted and said.
Il en- going to move forward, sir, gal
Hoped of to his division and immedi-
ately put it in motion.
"Longstreet, leaving his staff, came
out alone TO where | was. 1t was then
about 40 p. m. ! explained the sit
uation, feeling then more hopeful. but
afraid our artillery ammunition might
not hold out for all we would want.
Longstreet said, Stop Pickett immedi-
ately and replenish your ammuni-
ton explained that it would take
too long, and the enemy would recov-
er from the effect our fire was then
having, and we had, moreover, very
little to replenish with. Longstreet
said, Il don't want to make this at
tack would stop 1t now but that
Gen. Lee ordered it and expects 1t to
90 on. don't see how it can succeed
81 listened but did not dare offer a
word. The battle was lost il we
stopped. Ammunition was far too
low to try anything else, for we had
been fighting three days. While Long.
street was still speaking, Pickett S
division swept out OF the wood and
showed the full length of its gray ranks
and shining bayonets, as grand a
sight as ever a man looked on. Join
ing it on the left. Pettigrew stretched
farther than / could see. Gen. Dick
Garnett, just out of the sick ambu-
lance, and buttoned up in an old blue
overcoat, riding at the head OF his
brigade, passed us and saluted Long
street. Garnett was warm personal
friend, and we had not met before for
months. We had served on the plains
together before the war. rode with
him short distance, and then we
wished each other luck and a good
bye which was our last.
"Then ! rode down the line of guns,
selecting such as had enough ammuni-
ton to follow Pickett's advance, and
starting them after him as fast as
possible. | got, ] think, fifteen or
eighteen in all in little while, and